EAST HARTFORD ADULT EDUCATION

The Graphic Novel

Spring 2012


Karen M. Adrián
adrian.km@easthartford.org


This class is offered to the students of East Hartford Adult Education Credit Diploma Program for .5 credits toward an East Hartford high school diploma. The class meets between 4pm and 5:30pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and runs between March 12, 2012 and May 24, 2012.

The purpose of this course is to legitimize the graphic novel as a rich form of literature to critically examine aspects of history and society. Graphic novels contain some of the same literary themes used in classic literature but through a more unique and artistic means. This semester we will be analyzing Marjane Satrapi's graphic novel:

BookCover.jpeg

This graphic novel is a poignant coming-of-age memoir of a precocious and outspoken young Iranian girl during the Islamic Revolution through powerful black-and-white comic strip images, giving us a glimpse into a world that few of us know anything about.


About the Author:

Bookslut Interview
The Believer
Graphic Novels and Her Family's Influence
Foreign Policy

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS:
  • Are graphic novels a form of literature worthy of study in the classroom?
  • The role of government in regulating a society’s culture – music, art, literature, and other forms of expression
  • The role of education and religion to repress or express freedom of expression
  • The effect of culture and politics on identity and family life
  • The role of women
  • Individualism


Resources:
Edutopia
Scholastic
The Graphic Classroom